Cerritos Routs Riverside, 10-2, in Nonconference game makeup Monday

RIVERSIDE --  In a game which was postponed due to wet grounds last February 23, the Cerritos College Falcons were raring to go as they broke open a relatively close game with a seven-run sixth inning and went on to post a 10-2 nonconference "mercy" win over the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers women's softball team Monday afternoon (Mar. 16) at Brown Field (Evans Sports Complex).

Cerritos (14-6 overall) took a 2-0 in the top of the third inning on a pair of unearned runs and added another unearned tally in the fifth for a 3-0 lead. The Falcons then exploded for seven runs (six earned) in the sixth, most of which came on a two-run home run and a two-run double.

Riverside (6-14 overall), trailing, 10-0, in the bottom of the sixth, pushed across two runs for the final margin of 10-2 when sophomore RF Stephanie Gutierrez (Riverside / M.L. King HS) singled through the left side to drive in a pair of runs for the Tigers. Gutierrez went two for three, as did 1B Jordan Emanuele, for RCC.

Haley Petrucelli socked an 0-2 pitch over the left-field fence for a 7-0 Falcon lead. Moments later, 3B Crystall Cano drilled a two-run double to left field for a 9-0 Cerritos advantage. Leadoff batter and CF Joanna Perruccio went two for three and scored three runs to lead Cerritos.

Starting RHP Ana Pedroza went the first four innings plus (five hits, no runs, one strikeout) for Cerritos to level her record at 5-5. Jennifer Navarro pitched the last two innings and allowed three hits, two runs (earned) and walked two.

For Riverside, starting RHP Alexis Holman pitched the first 5-1/3 innings, but struggled. She allowed 11 hits, nine runs (six earned), two walks and struck out one before Mercedes Rios recorded the final two outs in the top of the sixth.

Both teams return to action tomorrow, Tuesday, Mar. 17, at 3 p.m. Cerritros will visit the El Camino College-Compton Center Tartars in a South Coast Conference game, while RCC visits the Southwestern College Jaguars in a nonconference game.

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